Buste van man met baret c. 1844 - 1854

Gerhardus Fredericus Eilbracht made this bust of a man with a beret using etching. Made in the Netherlands in the first half of the 19th century, this portrait is evocative of the Dutch Golden Age. The sitter’s clothing and hair style closely resemble those seen in portraits by Rembrandt and his contemporaries, something that would have been very familiar to audiences visiting the Rijksmuseum at the time. What are we to make of this historical pastiche? Is it simply a harmless exercise in historical revivalism, or is Eilbracht making a comment on the political conservatism of the Dutch art establishment in his day? To understand this image better, it would be worth researching the exhibition history of the Rijksmuseum, as well as the prevailing political winds in the Netherlands during Eilbracht’s lifetime. Ultimately, the meaning of this etching lies in the world that it inhabits.